Method for welding stacker laminations and article therefrom
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorMarshall G. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for welding a plurality of stacked laminations includes positioning an edge of the laminations adjacent to a pulsed laser for receiving a pulsed laser beam at the kerf defined between adjacent laminations. The laser is operated to direct the pulsed laser beam at the kerf for melting the adjacent laminations to a predetermined maximum depth. The laser is controlled to limit heat input at the kerf for effecting a generally parabolic melting zone. The stacked laminations 10 are moved transversely edge-to-edge relative to the pulsed laser beam for repeating the pulsed welding at successive kerfs.
Claims3
An article comprising:
- a stack of laminations having abutting adjacent surfaces defining respective kerfs;
- a weld bead extending transversely from edge-to-edge along said laminations for fixedly joining together said laminations;
- said weld bead having a maximum depth at said kerfs greater than or equal to about one-half (1/2) lamination thickness and less than about two (2) lamination thicknesses;
- and
- said laminations having a continuous heat affected zone of unmelted material configured in the form of a plurality of cusps interconnected at said kerfs and extending into said weld bead between adjacent ones of said kerfs.
An article comprising:
- a plurality of laminations having substantially identical configurations, said laminations arranged in a stack and having abutting adjacent surfaces defining respective kerfs;
- and
- a weld bead extending transversely along the edges of said laminations for fixedly joining together said laminations, said weld bead being substantially flush with the edges of said laminations and having a maximum depth at said kerfs which is in the range of about one-half to two times the thickness of one of said laminations, said laminations having a continuous heat affected zone of unmelted material configured in the form of a plurality of cusps interconnected at said kerfs and extending into said weld bead between adjacent ones of said kerfs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.